Ganith and stuff :)
by ThePinkDocMartens
Summary: One shots. Probably mainly going to be Ganith :) there might be some Zombies at one point. All the characters belong to Derek Landy :)
1. Chapter 1

**Part One, set after The Dying of The Light, but Ghastly is still alive :) **

* * *

He paced his office, he had Tanith back! Some good did come from Darquesse after all, but he wasn't sure where Tanith stood. Valkyrie had told her what Billy-Ray was to her and he'd sacrificed himself for her – for Christ's sake how could he compete with that? Yeah he made her a pair of boots but she doesn't remember him giving her them or the way they laughed and joked with each other.

Ghastly decided he had to do something, with Valkyrie going off to Canada Tanith might not want to come back to Ireland – in short he would never see her again! Leaving his office he walked the long walk to the infirmary wing. He'd been to visit some of his friends there but he hadn't seen Tanith yet. For the first time since the war he saw the damage the war had caused, he had yet to see outside but he suspected outside was worse.

"Ghastly" a female voice called to him he turned hoping it would be Tanith but was slightly disappointed when he saw it was Valkyrie.

"Hi" he said to her.

"Hi" she looked like she was going to say more, but just hugged him instead, he hugged her back.

"What's the matter?" he said to the side of her head.

"Ummm, I'm going away for a while"

"I know" he pulled out of the hug.

"You know?"she seemed shocked.

"Skulduggery told me"

"Oh well I just came to say goodbye"

"You'll be back before you know it" he wasn't sure what to say. Valkyrie was like the daughter he never had, he was sad she had to go but she needed to do what she needed to do.

"Yeah, I hope your right"

"When are you leaving?"

"Fletcher's teleporting me in an hour"

"Oh okay, be safe and don't forget to writ" she couldn't help but laugh at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked

"Don't forget to write" she said between giggles

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"I could just phone you"

"Oh" now he felt stupid

"Anyway" finally getting over her giggles "Tanith's looking for you" he perked up a bit Tanith was looking for him.

"Where is she?"

"Canteen"

"Thank you, have a nice trip" he shouted over his shoulder as he raced towards the canteen.

He stopped abruptly in the doorway to the canteen looking at the beautiful woman sat in one of the booths

"Tanith" he called to the girl, she turned her head to look at him and a brilliant smile over took her face. Tanith looked at him like it was the first time she had ever seen him, he came looking for her or Valkyrie had seen him and told him where she was.

"Ghastly" she stood and ran to him, when she got nearer she didn't stop running and just collided with him, hugging. He kept whispering things she couldn't understand. He squeezed her and she brought in a breath. She'd forgotten she had broken her ribs. He instantly let go and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah" she waved off his concern "Just y'know a couple of broken ribs" she tried to make light of it, but Ghastly didn't say it that way

"Broken ribs? How?"

"I had a fight with the cleaver"

"The cleaver?" he didn't know what she was on about

"Y'know _the _cleaver

"Sorry I don't know what you're on about?"

"The one that turned you to stone all them years ago"

"Oh, the cleaver" realization hit him in the face like a lead balloon.

"Yeah" she smiled

"Have you been to the hospital wing?"

"Yeah Yeah they gave me some cream to put on it"

"That it?" he was surprised

"Well yeah, there has just been a war!" she was really happy for someone who had just found out her fiancé had just died.

"You seem happy" Ghastly commented.

"I know, it's the medication I was given" oh so she wasn't happy to see him then Ghastly thought "I know about me and Billy-ray but I can't remember any of it. I think in that last moment part of me knew, but it was too late" she bent her head in shame "I'm happy to see you too" she mumbled and that was all he needed to hear. He scooped her up into another hug, resulting in her yelping because of her rib.

"I'm so glad you're alive Ghastly" she said into his chest "I don't know how I would cope with out you"

"I'm glad you're alive too" he smiled "This might be the wrong time to ask but" he broke away from the hug and continued "do you want to go to dinner with me?"

She looked up at him and nodded,

"Yes" she smiled "Yes, Yes I will" after she said the words a round of applause erupted around them. Ghastly looked around seeing everyone in the canteen was looking at them and listening in to their conversation. Tanith nudged him and he looked where she was looking. In the corridor there was more people looking in, apparently Valkyrie had been going around telling everyone to go to the canteen to see the reunion.

"Ummm" Ghastly said uncertain on what to do with the audience, Tanith started laughing it was the most beautiful sound Ghastly had ever heard, eventually he joined in too. And together they both laughed which started everyone off around them. The world needed a good laugh especially after what it had just been through.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :) **


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2

Part two

It was the day of their first date, Ghastly hadn't told her where he was taking her, only to meet outside the sanctuary at 7pm. So Tanith wasn't sure what to wear, what if she got dressed up and he was taking her to McDonalds, what if she went casual but he took her to a fancy restaurant. It was times like this she wished Valkyrie was still here, he would have told her where he was taking her. She thought of who else he would have told – the dead men, there was no way she was going to ask Saracen. China! She thought he would have told China.

Tanith starting digging around her jacket for her phone and called China .

"Hello" China answered

"Hi China, I need-"

"Tanith?" She replied "What do you want?"

"Ummm, I was wondering if you knew where Ghastly was taking me" she asked with a slight cringe.

"And why would I tell you" she drawled in a silky voice

"Um, I'm not sure you noticed but I did save your life"

"When?"

"Oh you know there was a cleaver trying to hack you to pieces"

"Oh that" she brushed it as if was nothing

"So?"

"So what?"

"Where is he taking me"

"I was told not to tell anyone"

"CHINA ANSWER ME"

"He's making stake"

"Oh, okay thank you" she was about to put the phone down but China stopped her.

"Tanith"

"Yes China"

"I need you and Ghastly in a 9 tomorrow morning" she then hung up.

An hour later she was ready and on her way to the sanctuary, she had decided to go for the casual look if Ghastly was making her steak they were going to his shop/house. She waited to the left of the Sanctuary doors. She looked at the time on her watch.

7:15 – he was late.

7:20 - nothing

At 7:30 her phone rang, picking it up she looked at the caller id Ghastly.

"Hi Tanith" he said when she picked up.

"Hi Gas, um , where are you?"

"I'm at the sanctuary doors "he started laughing, Tanith turned and tried to see where he was. But she couldn't see him.

"No your not, I'm at the sanctuary doors and you not here? And why are you laughing" she started to get frustrated at him.

"Tanith calm down" he appeared out the door to the sanctuary. "I was stood in here" pointing into the doorway to the sanctuary and hung up the phone. She started laughing as well.

"I thought you meant to wait out here" she couldn't believe she had been waiting in the wrong place. He just continued to laugh at her. "I thought you weren't coming" trying to be serious but his giggles were infectious.

"Hey stop laughing" she said as his laughter escalated. Soon they were both on the floor laughing.

Five minutes later when their laughter had stopped they stood.

"So where are you taking me?" she hugged him around the waist.

"Well I promised you stake" she smiled "And I know you cheated"

"What?"Tanith looked up to see his face

"You cheated, you asked China where I was taking you"

"She told you" she felt bad, it was meant to be a surprise and she ruined it

"Yes" he smiled down at her making her feel better "she did she said you didn't know what to wear so she told you"

"You're not mad"

"Narr" he lead her to his van, "Steak awaits" and she started to laugh again.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :) **


	3. Zombie Hunters

"Master!" Thrasher screamed, the pair had started their own detective agency 'The zombie hunters' a lot of people how came to then got the wrong idea, they came to them to get rid of zombies -not zombie detectives. They were often disappointed in the fact Thrasher and Scapegrace weren't going to get rid of the zombies, but they did own a warehouse given to them by China Sorrows where they took their kin. Apparently the warehouse had been previously owned by Doctor Nye before he was hired by the Sanctuary, then thrown in prison for treason. But now it was used as a zombie home. Alot like a retirement home - but for zombies.

"Master" Thrasher screamed again, one of their potential clients was being attacked by a rouge zombie that had escaped the warehouse and was now in the front office next to Scapegrace's office. And Thrasher was trying to open the jaw of the escapee zombie that was latched around the clients shoulder.

"What Thrasher?" He called from his office, he was wondering whether he should change The name of his business, everyone was confused by the name.

"We have a situation out here" the attacked victim started making gurgling sounds.

"What sort of situation?"Scapegrace asked walking through his office door and then stopped "oh sugar cookies" he mumbled" he ran forward to help Thrasher with the task.

"How could you let this happen you idiot" Scapegrace hissed at Thrasher through gritted teeth. He finally got the chance to see if his status worked he moved back from the escapee, client and Thrasher. Cleared his throat and bellowed

"STOP THIS I AM YOUR ZOMBIE KING" surprisingly it worked both Thrasher and the escapee let go of the client and took a step back. The client fell to the floor bleeding profoundly from hos should wound, It would be need to be wrapped Scapegrace thought to himself.

"right now you" he pointed to the escapee "Back to the warehouse and you wrap the wound" he pointed at Thrasher. Then zombies being zombies didn't listen properly Thrasher started for the warehouse and then escapee started looking for bandages.

"Oh for goodness sake" Scapegrace threw his hands in the air "Stop" them stopped "Thrasher. Stay." He turned to the escapee "You, escapee. Back to the warehouse" the escapee zombie went slowly to the door.

"Speed it up a bit" the escapee zombie started to walk faster."don't make me throw you" Scapegrace scowled, the escapee zombie walked faster when he got to the door he turned and looked at Scapegrace "Keep going" the escapee zombie disappeared through the door. Shutting the door he thought to himself _I need to invest in a better locking system_. He turned suddenly remembering the client on the floor,he looked up at Thrasher who was staring into space,then back at the would be client. Ir was too late to save him now.

"Thrasher" he snapped him out of his gaze

"Yes master"

"Help me with this would you" he grabbed one of the clients ankles and Thrasher grabbed the other, together they started dragging him toward the door of the warehouse and dumping him inside. If any of his relatives thought him missing they would go to the last place they knew him to be which would be 'Zombie Hunters' granted they knew he was coming here.

Oh well he would have an interesting time explaining to them what had happened.

Zombie retirement home, that's what he should change the name too. They could be bounty hunters for zombies, he nodded to himself. He could get a sign above his door. Zombie King looking after his subjects by keeping them safe in his warehouse.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :) Zombie retirement home :) **


	4. Stone

_He was stone; she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Kneeling in Kenspeckle's lab upset her. I could have helped him, went after the white cleaver before it almost killed him. If I had, he wouldn't be stone. Why am I thinking these things I had only just met him. Freelancing for the English sanctuary called in to the Irish sanctuary by Mr. Bliss to save Skulduggery. _Tanith thought, it had been nearly 2 years since it happened.

She walked in to Kenspeckle's building with her head down looking at her hand which was now bandaged curtsy of Murder Rose when she threw her stupid knife at her. It hurt , she ran out of leafs on the way over, but it didn't hurt as much as the wall she managed to walk into.

"Oww" she moaned finally looking up. "Oh" surprised it wasn't a wall she had walked into but none other than Ghastly Bespoke's chest.

"Um, Hi" he said, god she missed his voice

"Hi" throwing her arms around his neck in hug, after a brief moment of shock he hugged her back.

"Um, how did I get here?" he asked pulling away

"The cleaver brought you in" she smiled brightly at him, he smiled back down at her

"Why does that make me feel violated?" He laughed

"That wasn't were I was expecting this conversation to go" she laughed back, he looked down and saw her hand.

"What happed?" Alarmed picking up her hand

"Just some crazy woman with knifes, nothing I can't handle" he cocked an eyebrow, gracefully moving a scar. Letting go of her hand .

"How long have I been gone" gesturing to the other room which he was kept in

"Nearly 2 years" trying to get it passed a lump in her throat. "Serpine is dead, Skulduggery killed him"

"That went fast"

"What was it like? Did you dream? Do you have any memory of being a giant stone?" all the questions started to flood out of her.

"I don't remember, all I remember is that Cleaver and then I stood up in there" he smiled

"Oh" she felt a flush coming up her neck.

"Has Skulduggery still got Valkyrie with him?"

"Yes, but she stronger now, Skulduggery's teaching her magic and I'm teaching her combat" she shrugged and he nodded.

"You okay?" she asked looking worried

"Yes, just a headache I think it's a side effect of the earth element"

"Yeah being a stone for nearly 2 years has gotta suck for the brain"

"Cheers for that"

"Well it's true, I'm sure I read it somewhere" she teased

"Are you insulting me Miss Low"

"Why Mr. Bespoke I think I am"

They broke down in laughter.

"I should go and find the others apparently they are here"

"Okay, I need a breather a moment before I see the others, I think one person colliding with my chest today is a bit much" she smiled

"See you in a mo" she waved, Ghastly noticed she had a spring in her step.


	5. Rain Low Bespoke

Ghastly heard someone banging on his front door, his shop wasn't going to open for another hour, so he thought the only person it could be was Skulduggery; with his suit handing off his bony frame claiming to have been in a tight battle with a mystical dog or some other magical creature. He really needed to look into buying some fabric that could withstand a battle, but then there wasn't really any point because Skulduggery would find a way to destroy it or get a tear in the sleeve, another reason that he didn't want to spend so much on fabric on Skulduggery's suit was that he knew that Skulduggery would only wear it once and then hang it in his wardrobe to collect dust. Ghastly didn't mind spending that kind of money on Valkyrie, god knows she needs the protective fabric; the amount of times he heard she had been to see the doctors at the Sanctuary for some reason or other.

Walking out into the front room of the shop he saw that the silhouette in the window was not that of Skulduggery or Valkyrie. Opening the door he saw the sight he had been waiting weeks to see.

Tanith Low.

"Hello Mr. Bespoke" she said in a business like voice

"Hello Miss Low" he replied in the same tone, only cracking a smile when he saw her smirk.

"Can I come in, it's sort of raining out here" she asked, it wasn't till then Ghastly noticed the rain.

"Yeah, Yeah come in make yourself comfortable" he rushed moving back so she could come past. She giggled as she walked past him.

"What are you laughing at?" he questioned

"You" she replied turning to face him, her hair had started to stick to her face, framing her face beautifully. When he gave her a puzzled look she added "You've been getting all flustered around me since our date" he smiled at the memory, while he closed and locked the door.

"Ummm, do you want a drink or something to eat?" moving towards the back of his shop.

"A cup a tea would be nice" she smiled following him.

"So what brings you my way Low" he smiled with his back to her.

"Well _Bespoke" _ He liked it when she called him by his last name _ "_I just got back from seeing my family in England, y'know it was the first time I'd seen them since the whole remnant thing" he turned to see her frowning.

"What did they say?"

"Not much, my brother wouldn't look at me for the first part of my stay, after a while he just said a couple of words to me and said he had to leave"

"Tough then"

"Yeah, Mum and Dad were alright you know since they sent me to an assassin when I was eight" she smiled "He said that my brother would come round eventually, its hard for a family to adjust to one of its members being a remnant"

"But you're not anymore" Ghastly concluded placing a mug of milky tea in front of her, as he took the seat opposite.

"No I'm not anymore, but it feels like he only remembers that part of me" she said looking down into her tea.

"Then your brother doesn't know what he's missing" Ghastly placed his hands on hers, causing her to look up at him "Your what sixty and he only remembers the couple of years the remnant was in you then he's an idiot"

"Thank you Ghastly" she whispered "But I'm eighty nine this year"

"And looking good" he added without thinking, but seen as she smiled he guessed he said the right thing.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :)**


	6. Nightmare

Nightmare

She was walking down the aisle, finally. At the end dressed in black she saw her intended, his suit fit him perfectly; she knew that he made it himself. As she walked she wanted him to turn and smile at her but he kept his back to her, his friend and best man turned around to look at her. He too was wearing an impeccable suit, but his was a navy blue, he wore a hat in the same colour and gloves which looked like another layer of skin over his thin hands.

She turned her head to look behind her and saw her bridesmaid, her closest friend was beautiful in a lilac strapless dress, her long black hair was up in an up do which looked like it took hours just to plan let alone put together.

As she walked further down the aisle she looked either side of her at the faces she recognised – some she didn't and some glared at her. Obviously they where there because they were happy for her intended and not her. But she didn't care she had someone who wanted to marry her. Looking down at her dress she was glad he said he would make it, even though the groom isn't meant to see the brides dress until the wedding, he insisted on making the dress. And she was glad she let him, the dress skimmed the floor and was white and brown, the bottom layer was a thick brown material, and as the layers built us they got thinner and thinner. The top layer was a white lace with patterns entwined in the lace, some were of a sword and some where flowers. Even though it had loads of layers the dress was as light as her sword, the top of the dress had cross stitched sigils and runes, she didn't recognise them all but one was angelic power, she thought it was kind of ironic – she was raised as an assassin, became a bounty hunter of sorts, helped save the world, got possessed by a remnant, started a war, helped try and destroy the world – but she appreciated the gesture, the gown had long sleeves which reached down into a point at her middle finger, the sleeves were made out of lace as well.

She neared the end of the aisle and she saw the best man lean over and whisper something to her intended, just then he turned around and looked at her head to foot and grinned.

She grinned back as she stood beside him.

"You look beautiful" he whispered

"Thanks to you" she whispered back, grinning down at her feet, Not noticing his loving gaze. She looked around at the sea of faces, the front row on Ghastly's side was the dead men and on her side was her parents and some of the friends she had made over the years, the rest was sanctuary workers, Ghastly being and Elder meant that he felt obligated to invite them.

As the priest started to talk she sort of went into a daze looking up at Ghastly.

She isn't sure what happened but it happened fast one minute they were stood in the light and happy, the next the lights were flashing off and on – like they would at a disco. She saw Ravel run up behind Ghastly and plunge a knife in to his neck, Ghastly's face was still turned towards her and she saw a mix of shock and anger and then pain flash in his eyes. Ravel stepped back leaving the knife in Ghastly's throat. He was a cowered he attacked when his back was turned. Ghastly fell to his knees as other guests started to fall to the floor, she knelt on the floor with Ghastly's head in her lap, she removed the knife and pressed her hand into the wound as an attempt to stop the blood flow. His suit was ruined her dress was ruined – but she didn't care, all she cared about was Ghastly and keeping him alive. Looking up at the masses she was Madam Mist by the doors she had just walked through controlling her spiders, there was other children of the spiders around her as well. Their spiders were attacking the guests leaving her to watch it all happen. Valkyrie Skulduggery and the rest of the Dead Men all pounced on Ravel pining him to the floor, Saracen and Vex moved in to her eye line hiding Ravel from her, she looked down at Ghastly, he was looking up at her pleading with his eyes, slowly me moved his hand and placed it on her cheek. She started crying, her fat tears landing on his face, quickly she rubbed them off his face and whispered

"Don't leave me!"

"I'm trying" he choked, blood started to leak from his mouth, he started making gurgling sounds and then he was still.

"NO GHASTLY" She pleaded with his lifeless form.

"Well look at what we have here" a southern drawl reached her across the chaos, she looked up with murder in her eyes, Billy- Ray stood there next to Mist and her cronies. The room around her was silent – not in shock but because the guest were dead.

"What have you done?" she screeched.

* * *

She felt something shaking her opening her eyes she looked up into the worried eyes of Ghastly

"Tanith, you okay?" he looked down at her concerned, she had fallen asleep on his sofa.

"Yeah, I think so"

"You sort of started screaming and I was worried" He knelt down beside the sofa so he could llok in to her eyes.

"Just a nightmare I think"

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked softly

"No" she said quickly

"Okay, anyway dinners ready" he smiled

"What is it?" she smiled back.

"Steak!"

"Well then" she stood up and walked into the little kitchens "Let's not let it go cold"

He watched her leave the room and smile he heard what she had mumbled in her sleep.

"Don't leave me, No Ghastly" he wanted us to know what it was but wouldn't push the matter.

"Oi, Ghastly steaks getting cold" he smiled and followed the sound of her voice.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :)**


	7. Nightmare Part 2

Nightmare part 2

Ghastly woke to Tanith walking around in the other room. Rolling over he looked at the alarm clock on his bedside cabinet, the display read 02:40. For the past week or so she had been staying with him and each night she was up walking around the house and shop. He wondered if she knew he noticed, he rolled on to his back looking up at the ceiling. Four years ago Tanith told him about what she used to do in her London apartment; she said she would stick photographs to the ceiling and walls so she would never be tempted to forget the ones she loved. Ghastly had started his own on his wall a couple of months after she mentioned it, it started small but now took up most of his walls and parts of his ceiling. He thought of moving the photo's from his ceiling to his wall, but then thought better of it because when he was in his room he mainly slept or lay on his bed looking at the ceiling. When he was falling sleep be would look up at all the faces of his friends and feel like the luckiest man alive.

When he was putting all the pictures on the ceiling he made sure the pictures were put above his bed so he could see them, when he showed Tanith his collage he was scared that she might think it was creepy but she looked at it and smiled and said it was beautiful.

When he heard Tanith still walking around he decided that he had to find out why she was not sleeping, he got up, throwing the quilt over the bed so it was half on the floor. he found her in the living room where she stopped walking and was sat on the ceiling. He looked up at her and realized how beautiful she really was, she wasn't wearing her brown leather but her _Star Wars _pyjamas. She had her head in her hands muttering to herself, from where Ghastly stood he could hear what she was saying.

"Tanith?" he questioned, at the sound of his voice she head shot up. He saw her eyes were blood shot as if she had been crying "You okay?" slowly she stood up and walked to the wall down it and then ended up about two foot away from him.

"I don't know" she mumbled sitting down on the sofa, curling her knees under herself.

"What's the matter?" he asked walking over to the sofa he sat down next to her and put a hand on her knee.

"I keep having nightmares" she moved so her shoulder was leaning against his and her head on his shoulder. She sounded tired.

"What happens in them?" he said, he wasn't used to talking to people who had nightmares, when he was younger he was the cause of many nightmares.

"There are you and me" she started staring off into the distance. _Great _Ghastly thought _why do I never get a break from giving people nightmares! _"and we ... we are getting married" she mumbled the last part but Ghastly heard her loud and clear.

"Why would that be a nightmare?"he asked slightly hurt.

"It's not that, that's the nightmare; it's what happens after" she paused "Ravel walks forward from his spot with the rest of the dead men and puts a knife in your throat" she hiccups, Ghastly turned her face so she was looking at him, her eyes welled up with tears; but she would look at him in the eyes "And then the Children of the Spider, come through the doors at the back of the hall and they start killing all the guests"

"Tanith" he muttered

"But they leave me alive, so I have to watch the people I love die and they make me watch you die... And I can't take that Ghastly, it hurts too much" he pulled her in to a hug which she willingly accepted, she cried into his neck making his thin cotton shirt wet. Slowly he began to rub her back.

"I won't let that happen Tanith" he promised her "Ravel isn't the sort to kill his friends, If I thought he was capable of doing that I wouldn't allow him to have become my friend. As for everything else I think it is just you worrying" she pulled back to look at him, her cheeks damp with tear.

"You think"

"I know" he promised again "Now, seen as we are both up do you want to have a cup of tea" he smiled getting up to go in the kitchen.

"Yes" she smiled back following him. "Just promise me one thing Ghastly" she said placing a hand on his arm stopping him.

"Anything" He looked down at her, there wasn't anything he wouldn't promise her

"Be careful at the Sanctuary"

"I promise" he smiled, carrying on the journey to the kitchen.

"Thank you"

* * *

**Thank you for reading so far! reviews welcome :) **


	8. Secrets, Fears and Dreams

Secrets, fears and dreams.

Tanith wanted to cook something for Ghastly, over the past couple of weeks he had helped her get over her nightmares. They had spent countless nights talking about why the dreams could never happen and telling each other their deepest and darkest secrets, fears and dreams.

He told her about when his mother had died, even though he had told her a lot about his mother before, this time was different; he told her how much her death had affected him and his father - who later died of a broken heart. Apparently when his mother died, he didn't know what to do with his life. She trained him to be the fighter he is today. Gave him his first pair of boxing gloves. She was special to him and he told Tanith all the embarrassing moments he had when she was alive.

One of Tanith's favorite stories was the one he told her recently. She couldn't sleep so she sat on his sofa in front of the TV, the volume low because she didn't want to wake him. But she did when she started to pace the ceiling, for some reason over the past couple of weeks she had an abundance of energy and could sit still for more than a few minutes.

Ghastly walked into his sitting room and she was sat upside down on the ceiling.

"Hey" he mumbled sleepily

"Hi, did I wake you?"

"No, I woke you first started moving about down here" he stretched and made his way to the kitchen "Tea?"

"Yes please" she followed him to the kitchen, and opened the biscuit box delighted to see it full of chocolate bourbons and custard creams.

"Judging by the fact that we are both down here at two in the morning, I'm guessing something is wrong" he said with his back to her, putting the kettle on to boil.

"I don't know" she answered "I want to sleep but I can't, it feels like I have too much energy"

"Do more in the day burn up the energy" he finally turned around to face her, god he looked tired.

"Busy day?" She already knew the answer.

"Yeah, we've got new field agents coming in over the next couple of days" he put his face in his hands "but it isn't working out how Ravel thought it would, anyway I don't want to talk about it"

"Okay" the kettle finished boiling and he turned back around to finish the tea.

"Come on" he picked up her cup and his while she carried the biscuits, and they settled on the sofa. "you know this is comfier than the ceiling" she mused as she sank into his side.

"Who would have guessed?" He joked. "did I ever tell you about the time the rest of the dead men met my mother?"

"No" she looked up to see his face, staring at the tv, the light played with his scars on his face, making the ones closest to her look deeper than they do during the day. And the ones on the opposite side of his face look like silver strips. "what was she like with them?"

"You know I don't think she spoke about them after they left" he looked at her face "she made a surprise visit and the men were in the kitchen" he pointed towards his kitchen. "and she just seemed to appear out of nowhere" he chuckled "I think she was the only woman alive to terrify Shudder"

She started to laugh at the thought of Shudder terrified.

"They were all in awe of her, it was like Skulduggery had met Grace Kelly the way he treated her, he immediately jumped up and asked if she wanted tea. Admittedly he recovered first, then Saracen, Vex, Ravel, Larakin, me then Shudder"

"Why did you need to recover?"

"Well I was about a hundred at the time and it was the first time I had really moved away from home, before here I lived in County Clare down the road from the rest of my family, so for her to just appear out of nowhere it was a bit of a shock"

"They had tea when you were a hundred?" She giggled at Ghastly's offended look.

"I'm not that old" he mock fainted

"You are"

"Not"

"Old fart" she continued to laugh

"I have no comeback to that" this made het laugh even more. He smiled at the fact he pit that smile on her face. "and yes we did have tea"

"Sorry old wise one, carry on with your story"

"My mother did everything she could to try and embarrass me."

"Like what?"

"Awkward pictures of me growing up, comparing me to Skulduggery and asking why I wasn't more like him, y'know the usual"

"Photos? Or portraits? are they here?" she jumped up and started looking for a photo album on the shelf's.

"What if I said no"

"I would think you were lying" she grinned, continuing to look through his book shelf. When she started pulling random books off the shelf, she felt Ghastly move to stand behind her and start trying to stop her from pulling even more books off the shelf.

"If I had baby photos they would be in museum now."

"So when you said awkward photos of you growing up you meant what?"

"From about 1895 onwards"

"Where are they?" She turned and started looking through books again.

"If I had them why would I keep them on the book shelf where Valkyrie could find them?"

"Good point" she grinned moving past him and in to the hall to the stairs, Ghastly followed her at a distance,

"Where are you going?"

"The one place Val wouldn't go!"

"Where's that?" She puzzled him at times.

"Your room" she said simply and running off to his room. He stood frozen for a couple of seconds until what she said hit him in full force.

"Crap" he muttered, his room was a mess. He raced up the stairs to the upstairs landing and slowly made his way to his room.

"Ghastly? Why is your room such a mess" Tanith called

"Because I don't like cleaning" he said plainly. He pushed the door open.

"But the rest of your house is flawless" she was looking through his bookshelf in the corner.

"Well no one but me really comes in here" he muttered walking over to the book shelf. He started moving books out of the way, revealing a big leather bound book at the back of the top shelf. He thought he might as well show her because she was going to find it anyway at some point.

"Come on" he pulled the book of the shelf and started making his way back down stairs. Running to keep up, Tanith was excited to see the old pictures of Ghastly.

"Do you still have your hair in any of them?" she questioned

"Some of the early ones I do" he smiled.

"Ohh, them I have to see" she jumped on the sofa, moving over so he could sit next to her. The first page of the book was picture of Ghastly, a woman and a man.

"Are they your parents?" she asked, marveling at the similarities between Ghastly and his father.

"Yes" he answered around a lump in his throat, it had been awhile since he looked at some of these photos. Tanith took the book out of his lap and started studying each page.

"So what else did your mother do to embarrass you that day?"

"You know I can't remember, I think I spent the rest of her visit hidden in my sewing room while she talked with the guys"

"I can't imagine my parents doing anything like that" she said sadly.

"Why?" he was generally puzzled, he had never really heard her talk about her parents before.

"Well when I was eight I was taken to be trained to be an assassin, so I didn't see them again till I was nineteen" she paused looking at a picture of Ghastly with a full head of hair, at the bottom of the picture was the date and year. "This was taken the day I got out of the hell hole" Ghastly put his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer.

"I never really knew them after, it was like going to live in a house with two people who claimed to be my parents" she put her head on his shoulder "My brother went through the same thing, years before me"

"How old is he?"

"Around a hundred and fifty"

"So he's not that old then" he chuckled

"Compared to you, you old fart"

"Oh are we starting that again are we" he leant over and started tickling her in the side.

"No No No, sorry" she gasped through her laughter.

Eventually he stopped tickling her, the book discarded on the floor.

"I'm really tired now" she yawned.

"You could do with the sleep, you've got horrible bags under your eyes" he teased making her smile.

"You can talk I didn't recognize you the other morning, I thought someone had let Scapegrace in" she giggled again, leaning back on the sofa nearing the edge of sleep "tomorrow I might make something for dinner"

"Ummm" Ghastly said leaning back on the sofa.

"Y'know instead of a takeaway again"

"There is nothing wrong with sweet and sour chicken" he yawned

"My hips say different" she said as sleep took over her and Ghastly joining her.

* * *

**Thank you for reading so far. :) Reviews welcome**


	9. Suit, Zombie and Thrones

Darkness

"Yo Tanith!" Valkyrie's voice called to her from Ghastly's shop.

"Hey Val" Tanith called back as her friend walked into Ghastly's home at the back of the shop,

"Hi Valkyrie, sure you can walk back here into my home" Ghastly said sarcastically from his armchair by the fire.

"Whoa! What's up with him?" Valkyrie asked Tanith, flopping down on the sofa next to her.

"He's in a paddy"

"Why?"

"Skulduggery phoned this morning, apparently he's ruined a suit and asked Ghas to make a new one" Ghastly from his armchair made a grunting sound.

"Why is that out of the norm?"

"It is out of the norm because it is the best suit I ever made" Ghastly sulked.

Tanith turned to Valkyrie and pulled a face.

"See this is what I have to put up with" she jerked a thumb at him making Valkyrie grin.

"Skulduggery said he was dropping by, apparently he has a job that need you two as well"

"But I'm on a holiday" Ghastly grumbled.

"Ghas how is it a holiday when all you've done is sit in the arm chair and draw pictures of wedding dresses?"

"You've seen them?" his eyes snapped to her in alarm

"Yeah, I like them; whoever the dress is for she's one lucky girl" Ghastly just smiled at her words.

"Hello?" Skulduggery's voice filled the room as he strolled through the door.

"Hi Skulduggery" Tanith and Valkyrie said in unison, while Ghastly remained silent staring at his friend.

"Hello Skulduggery" He said with a stern gaze.

"What's the matter with him?" Skulduggery stage whispered to Tanith and Valkyrie.

"What's the matter? What do you mean what's the matter!" Ghastly launched himself from his armchair and up into Skulduggery's face. "I worked on a suit for four freaking days and you wear it in a sewer, and fight a bloody sewer troll"

"Oh"

"Damn right it's an 'Oh'" Ghastly fumed backing away. While Ghastly and Skulduggery were nose to nose Valkyrie and Tanith had stood up and put their coats on.

"Have you finished?" Tanith asked

"Yes." Ghastly bit out.

"So are you going to make me a new suit?" Skulduggery asked, quickly Tanith moved so she was between the two.

"Stop now"

"Stop what?"  
"You ruined the suit and Ghastly is upset about it because it took him a long time, I think its going to be a while till he makes you a new one, don't you?" Skulduggery nodded like a scolded child, turning towards Ghastly she added "And you, stop playing up to him, he does this because he knows it whines you up" she raised her eyebrows at him.

"I know" he mumbled

"Now what's the job Val was on about?"

"Oh yeah, Ummm, there has been sightings of Scapegrace around and he's causing trouble"

"Can't we just leave him be?" Tanith asked

"Tanith he's a Zombie!"  
"Zombies used to be people too y'know Skulduggery"

"Yes, which is why we are helping him"

"Huh?"

"They might have found a cure for being a zombie, but anyway some mortals have seen him and are going crazy"

"I'm not going after Scapegrace Skulduggery!" Tanith insisted

"Why?"

"You obviously don't remember last time"

"Oh the brain thing"

"Yes the brain thing"

"If Tanith isn't going then I'm not going" Ghastly added putting an arm around Tanith's shoulders

"I don't want to go after Zombie's Skulduggery"

"Why?"

"Their disgusting and their body parts fall off" Valkyrie whined

"Fine I'll go on my own" Skulduggery huffed and walked back out of Ghastly's shop and home.

"You wanna watcha film?" Valkyrie asked turning around to face Tanith and Ghastly.

"Umm yeah" Tanith said peeling herself away from Ghastly and going over to the DVD cabinet which she had filled. "Game of thrones?" she asked holding up the box set.

"Yeah, I haven't seen them yet, are they good?"

"Amazing" Tanith skipped over to the DVD player and put in the first disk. Turning to the sofa she sat herself between Ghastly and Valkyrie, and leaned towards Ghastly resting her head on his shoulder.

As the show started to play Ghastly felt her hum the theme tune.

An hour later Ghastly turned off the TV and faced the two people on his sofa. Asleep. He walked over to his armchair and pulled the blanket off it and placed it over their sleeping forms. Then walking off to his own room to finish the wedding dress designs.

* * *

**Hey! sorry I haven't posted in a while :) I had to have a Game of Thrones reference in this one, mainly because I love that show! :) **


	10. PARTY

[name after]

She pottered around the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible but miserably failing. She was trying to make Ghastly a birthday cake, he hadn't exactly told her it was his birthday the next day but Skulduggery had alluded to the fact.

Currently Ghastly was in his workshop creating a new suit for Skulduggery and an outfit for Valkyrie. Tanith had told she was making dinner and he said he was going to try and stay out of the way. Her only worry was that she would drop something and he'd come and see what had happened and ruined the surprise. She weighed out the self raising flour, sugar and butter. Next all she had to do was deal with the eggs, Tanith didn't particularly like dealing with eggs. The goo the yolk was in made her want to vomit.

"You're a part time bounty hunter, you've helped save the world from god know what. And a unborn baby chicken stops you in your path." She chanted over and over to herself while she cracked the first egg on the side of the glass. Pulling the shell apart she heard the egg plop into the bottom of the glass. Taking a deep breath she did the same with the second egg but somehow missed the glass completely and dropped the yolk and goo on her bare foot.

She shrieked and retched

"Tanith?" she heard Ghastly question from the other room getting closer to the kitchen

"Yeah?" she tried to sound as normal as possible with a raw egg on her foot.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, i'm okay. Dinner isn't ready yet" she shouted reaching for the kitchen roll. Ripping a piece off she dropped it on the offending food and scooped it up.

"Are you sure? Normally when you make dinner you don't sound like you're going to be sick" he said from outside the kitchen door wiggling the handle, but the door wouldn't budge she'd used her power and locked the door – only she could open it.

"I'm sure" she tried to put a smile in her voice as she wiped her foot again for good measure.

"Then why did you shriek and why's the door locked?"

"One: I dropped a bit of raw food on my foot and it was colder than I expected and two: it's a surprise what I'm cooking so you can't come in"

"Okay, shout if you need anything"

"Yes dear" she heard him chuckle as he walk off.

She turned back to the task at hand and cracked another egg into the glass. The rest of the cake went well, about twenty minutes later she heard something knocking on the kitchen door.

"Yes?"

"Tanith it's me" she heard Valkyrie whispered through the door. She rushed towards the door and opened it, Valkyrie ran through the door behind her Tanith saw Ghastly and Skulduggery walk towards the kitchen, quickly she slammed the door closed and whispered.

"Lock" and "withstand"

"Tanith" Ghastly groaned as he tried to open the door.

"You're not coming in, dinner isn't ready yet"

"But I smell something nice cooking"

"Ghastly" Tanith warned leaning her back up the door.

"Okay" Ghastly sulked, she heard Skulduggery laughing then a thud and the laughing stopped.

Moving back towards the middle of the kitchen Tanith turned and looked at her friend who was trying to stop herself from laughing.

"Shut up" Tanith said a blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks.

"What's the plan for later?"

"Party food?"

"What have you made?"

"Cake"

"That it" Valkyrie gave her friend a funny look

"I never learnt to cook Val, my parents cooked when I was little, then there was a canteen of food. Before I met you guys I ate takeaways and now Ghastly normally cooks" Valkyrie doubled over laughing.

"Yeah like you've learnt how to cook" Tanith snapped at her, checking the cake in the oven.

"No that's true, but I get Skulduggery to get me food"

"Nice for some" Tanith muttered.

"Order a Chinese"

"Thought of that, but how am I going to get it in here and make it look like I've cooked it?"

"You could go out the window, run to the shop come back and in though the window and plate it up"

"That's an idea, don't let Ghastly in whole I'm gone" Tanith said moving to the window.

"See you in a bit" she waved, Valkyrie waved back.

Half an hour later, Tanith returned arms full of different Chinese foods, egg fried rice, soya noodles, sweet and sour chicken and crackers.

"Back" Tanith paced Val one of the bags and pulled plates out of the cupboard "How's the cake?"

"Ready and iced"

"Thank you, any noise from Ghastly and Skulduggery"

"Not a peep" Val smiled.

Together the girls made up the plates and carried them through to the dining room, Ghastly and Skulduggery were no where in sight.

"You want to go and find them" Tanith asked

"Yep" Valkyrie moved off down the corridor and Tanith went back into the kitchen to get the drinks, placed them on the table but there wasn't anyone else there yet.

She walked back into the kitchen and put candles in the cake, she wasn't sure how old he was so she put all the candles in the pack on the cake. She heard everyone gather around the table and Ghastly asked

"Where's Tan?" that was her cue, she lit the candles and moved out of the kitchen with the cake and joined her friends as they sang happy birthday to Ghastly. His face was a picture, he seemed really shocked that she knew his birthday.

"Thank you Tanith" he stood up and hugged her tight

"You're welcome" she hugged him back and kissed his cheek

"Did you make this food?" he asked her as he sat back down, Skulduggery had put his face on and was trying a bit of sweet and sour chicken

"Yes" Tanith answered, Out the corner of her eye she saw Valkyrie open her mouth to say something but Tanith stomped on her foot, making everyone at the table look at her. "What?" she asked innocently.

"Well done" Ghastly said, his friend at the Chinese take away had phoned and asked if they wanted the an extra dish of what Tanith had just brought. He smiled it was the thought that counted and Tanith didn't have to know that he knew she didn't cook it.

**Thank you for reading, I'm getting bad at not writing stories regularly and I'm sorry. **** but enjoy **


	11. Hide and Seek in the Dark

Hide and Seek in the dark.

"Three, Two, One. ready or not here I come" Ghastly called out, taking his hands away from his eyes. He looked around the living room, she was no where in sight, he made sure to look up at the ceiling, last time Tanith had hide in one of the corners and while he was looking around the other rooms had jumped down and waited for him to come back to where he'd counted.

And made him count.

Again.

"I am going to find you this time" he shouted at what seemed to be an empty room, only lit by candles,earlier that evening the power had gone off and had yet to come back on. So Ghastly had found all the candles they owned and set them alight with his finger tip.

Hidden in a locked cupboard Tanith giggled, she could hear Ghastly stomping about, she thought that she had the advantage in the game, she could unlock a door and then lock it again when she was inside without that letting on that there was a person hiding there.

Where she was the master Ghastly was her student. So far he'd only won one game and she, well, she won the rest of the games.

It wasn't Ghaslty's fault, she was a trained assassin, since the age of eight she'd learnt to hide in the shadows. Ghastly had grown up a boxer/tailor, he was big, and found it hard to hide in places that weren't behind doors even in the dark.

It had been funny earlier in the game she'd shouted 'ready or not' and strolled into the small kitchen to see Ghastly hiding his face while lying across the floor with his bottom half stuck in the cupboard under the work top.

When she first saw him she couldn't help but laugh, thirty minutes later she was laughing so much a little bit of wee came out. While Ghastly complained that he was really stuck.

Pulling out her phone she snapped photo's of him to show Val later, when she told him what she was planning to do with the photo's he threatened to take all her cookies off her in the near future.

"No living person is to see them Tanith!"

"What about Skulduggery he isn't living!"

"No. Definitely not" if Skulduggery saw them then the rest of the dead men would hear about it and he'd never hear the end of it for the next hundred years.

"Tanith help!" he pleaded, he started laughing, his mother was the greatest fighter of all time, and her son, Ghastly, was defeated by a kitchen unit.

"What do I get if I help" she asked sweetly.

"Cookies?"

"And?"  
"Coffee?"

"And?"  
"For gods sake Tan" he pleaded straining to get out of the cupboard.

"Okay how about you give me cookies, coffee, chocolate and … a foot massage"

"Fine, deal now help me"

"Okay" she grabbed his arms and pulled, he moved about an inch "how the hell did you get in there?"  
"Not sure"

"How about when I pull you use your magic and blast your way out"

"I'll try"

She pulled again this time Ghastly splayed his hand gently and used the air to nudge him out of the tight gap. He went red with strain, the redness made his scars stand out even more, she knew that once he was free he'd go and lock himself either in the bathroom or their bedroom until the redness went down. Tanith didn't know why.

She thought his scars were beautiful no matter what colour they were.

Back in her cupboard she could hear him walking about upstairs, little did she know he was stood outside her little cupboard. He manipulated the air to make it sound like he was up there walking about.

Reaching down he grabbed the handle and ripped the door off it's hinges.

Tanith squeaked in sock as her cover disappeared.

"Found you" he laughed at her expression.

"You cheated!" she whined.

"You laughed at me for thirty minutes earlier and you locked the door" he had her there.

"Fine" she grumbled "you win" she crawled out of the cupboard.

"You still get your cookies" Ghastly insured.

"I better" she was still annoyed that she had been found. Just then the light's flickered on.

"Powers back" Ghastly announced

"I know" she yawned

"Come on bedtime" he looked at his watch "It's nearly three in the morning"

"Okay, but you still cheated" she followed yawning.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :) reviews welcome :) **


	12. A Tale of Tanguine

A tale of Tanguine

_She was beautiful! _He thought, he gazed at Tanith through his eyeless sockets, he wasn't sure how long he'd had feelings like this for her, but boy was he glade.

He watched as she lovingly cleaned her sword across the room, cross legged on the ratty grey sofa.

"What are you looking at Billy Ray?" his sword lady asked not looking up from her task, her rich British accent was music to his ears.

"Nothin' darlin'" he replied.

"Really? You've been watching me for the past ten minutes" she looked up at him.

"Just admiring your beauty" he told her and she stated laughing.

"Why thank you Lil' Darlin'" she tried to copy his accent but only succeeded on he 'darlin''

"Your welcome honey bunny" he turned slightly in his chair so he could fold his knees over the chair's arms "Anything you wanna say to me?" The smile evident in his voice.

"Fishing for compliments Billy Ray?"

"Only if it's workin' and no if it ain't"

"You aren't looking so bad yourself, ya cheese ball" Tanith laughed.

"Thanks" he smiled "Cheese ball?"

"Ummm, your being cheesy, it's fitting" she continued laughing.

"I'll try and see the compliment in that" he grumbled.

"You do that"

Billy Ray had noticed change in his fiance since Darquesse had pulled the remnant out of her, she seemed kinder now. He was glad that she decided that she wanted to stay with him instead of running off with the scarred freak.

_It means that she had feelings for you _he often thought to himself.

"What's on the agenda today?" he asked.

"A troll has a price on its head, it keeps eating mortals"

"Need any help"

"Narr, I've fended of trolls before, their harmless" she shrugged off his concern.

"Okay, just call if you need back up"

"Uh huh, what are you doing?"

"Old man asked me to ill his neighbor, I've just got to scope out the house and hopefully I can make the hit tomorrow"

"Sounds good. And you call me if you need any help"

"Sure I will sword lady" Tanith stood up walked over to him and hit him lightly over the head.

"What was that for?" he asked as she walked to the door and picked up her bag.

"Don't call me Sword Lady"

"Sorry darlin'" he walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist and hugged her to him.

"S'Okay" she replied turning in his arms "Be careful today" she said pressing a kiss to his mouth.

"You too, honey bunny" he muttered back.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, **

**MyNameIsClassified suggested some Tanguine and this is my attempt :) Demon Road is Derek Landy's new book :) **


	13. Inside the Mind

**Inside the mind**

I'm losing the battle. The battle of who owns this body.

It's my body.

The thing inside doesn't own it. It is _mine!_

It used to be mine. It will be mine again.

Hopefully.

This thing. This thing inside my mind keeps me at bay, it won't let me be free. I can see it, hear it talking, its talking to my friends, turning them against me. They don't understand that I can't control what this thing does. To them, to others.

I've seen what this remnant has done, it's killed people. It's made my enemies my friends and my friends my enemies. I can't cope, I can see out but I can't speak out.

I see the looks in their eyes, in his eyes. He doesn't look at me the same way as he did before. He was going to make me steak. Now he won't, he looks at me with disgust.

I can't control what is within. It's horrible. One by one my friends turn their backs; it's been well over four days.

The Remnant has bonded and I am no longer myself.

I have lost the battle,

Tanith's eyes have closed.

And the remnants have opened and they are ready to have some fun.

Goodbye Tanith Low, sleep well Sword Lady.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Reviews Welcome! :D **

**Happy New Year to you all! :)**

**K **


	14. Ruling The World

**Ruling the world. **

"One day I'm going to take over the world. I don't care how I do, but just know this.

This planet will be mine; mortal or not.

I've decided.

And there is no changing my mind

I'm starting at my roots

So beware

I'll find a way, there's always a way.

And there is nothing anyone can do to stop me. I could care less if you are a Grand Mage or if you are a dwindling sorcerer.

I will take what it mine and rule the world, you will all be at my command.

I tell you know lies, when I say that this will happen whether you like it or not.

THIS PLANET AND EVERYONE ON IT IS MINE!" he shouted standing on the ridge looking over a sea of people, people who had no idea of who he was, or what he could do. These were the people that were going to do his work for him. They were his…. Minions. He couldn't wait to take over. What city was going to be the first? What country? His magic could take them over all at once. But where was the fun in that. No if he was going to take over the planet he had to think logically about this. A small country first then work upwards in size.

That decided it, the first place he was going to take over was Ireland.

"Ummm?" a voice cut through his thoughts.

"What Mere mortal!" he shouted at the girl in black off to his left

"Why are shouting at a mirror Dad?" Valkyrie asked her father. Confused as to what he was doing, one hand was in the air like he'd just won a race, in the other held one of Uncle Gordon's books.

"No reason" he turned around looking sheepish.

"What are you doing?" Valkyrie smiled

"Nothing-"

"Because it looks like your reading Uncle Gordons books to yourself in the mirror" Valkyrie continued.

"I wasn't"

"Yes you were" Valkyrie laughed "Why are you reading in a dramatic voice and looking in the mirror"

"I was trying to be epic" Desmond mumbled, looking down at his tartan slipper.

"Bearing your teeth?" Valkyrie cocked her head to the side, her eyes crinkled as she tried to keep her laughter at bay.

"It's all part of the act" he defended himself, stomping his foot down. The last straw had been drawn, he twirled on the spot and waltzed back into the sitting room. Keeping in character.

* * *

**Aren't you lot lucky three stories in four days! **

**Thank You for reading! Reviews welcome! :D :) :D **


	15. THE TEA STAIN

Tanith POV

I sit in the chair. His chair. Swinging to the side I hang my feet over the arm, I take a sip of my tea.

"Tanith?" I hear his voice question from the doorway. I don't turn to look at him, I'm not talking to him at the minute. Last night before I left his shop, he asked if Ravel had asked me out for dinner the night before and asked whether I said yes or no. I thought he was a bit of an idiot to ask, and I told him as such. Taking another sip of my tea, I'm half tempted to tip the rest of the drink on the seat cushion, stain it a little. Saying that Ghastly would probably upholster it anyway.

General POV

"Tanith what are you doing?" Ghastly asked coming to a stop in the doorway. She didn't answer him and continued to sip her tea. Leaning against the door frame he sighed. "Are you going to blank me all day?" he questioned, his voice sounded tired, like he was about to drop off to sleep at any moment. Turning her head, she let her gaze fall upon him, Tanith kept her eyes on him as she took another sip, accidentally making a slurping sound.

With the sound her mood dissipated and she started to giggle, Ghastly bent his head and laughed.

"Oh god that wasn't supposed to happen" she laughed. "Don't laugh Bespoke, I'm still not talking to you!" she glared at him through her laughter. That statement sobered his laughter.

"Why?" he moved more into the room and stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the chairs. "What have I done?"

"What have you done? Ummmm I don't know Ghastly, maybe because last night you started snapping at me when I said that Ravel had asked me out" Ghastly remembered the words they'd shared.

"Tanith.." he started but she cut him off.

"No Ghastly. I never go to finish the story last night and you started to have a go. And I'll have you know I said no to him." Ghastly felt the knot in his stomach unravel. "Last night you acted like a jealous school boy" she scowled, ignoring her tea and looking down at Ghastly.

"I'm sorry Tan" he muttered moving up the stairs towards his seat, it had been a while since he'd called her Tan, normally he said Tanith. She stood up as he got closer to the top of the platform. "I need to say sorry to Ravel too" he said as she wound her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"Why?" she asked looking up his chest at him.

"I may have also had words with him this morning" he muttered into her hair.

"What kind of words?" the door slammed open and Madame Mist swept into the room.

"Ah Ghastly" she purred as Tanith and Ghastly moved away from their embrace. "I just heard news from the infirmary, Ravel is getting better" she swept past and left through the other door in the room leading to her office.

"Infirmary?" Tanith questioned.

"Dead Men have a certain way of having words" he told her darkly.

"I'm going to see him" Tanith pushed past Ghastly and made her way to the door. As she got to the bottom of the steps she remembered the tea cup in her hand, and marched her way back to the chairs and tipped the remainder of her tea on to the seat of his chair.

"Tanith!" he exclaimed as she left the room, leaving him with the image of her hair swishing behind her.

* * *

**SORRY! I said at Christmas I was going to post more regularly. I'm trying honestly! **

**So I hope you like this story, reviews are welcome! **

**In other news who's excited to read the next book in the DEMON ROAD trilogy! I loved the first one and I really can't wait! **


End file.
